With only two exceptions, the three hours of messaging, venting and friendly arguments revealed the roots of Trump's support. Participants derided the mainstream media, accusing reporters of covering snippets of Trump quotes when the full context would have validated him. They cited news sources they trusted—Breitbart News was one example—to refute what they were being told.

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Such as?

Frank Lanzillo, a 59-year-old retired Marine, took that as a cue to explain just how anti-American the president really is. "When you bend down to the Saudis, take your shoes off, put your hand on a Koran and then the Bible when you're sworn in?" Lanzillo said. "He took his flag pin off. I'm a Marine and former deputy sheriff. He took that off, he was in the toilet to me. I would not only not piss on him if he was on fire—I'd throw gas on him."

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Sworn in on the Koran? That's a new one.

Heads were nodding around the room. "I've read the Koran," said Jeff Kelly, 57. "It says what it's purported to say. I know it says you come across a non-Muslim, you kill him or convert him." Luntz moved on to questions about Trump's claim that "thousands of Muslims" had "cheered the collapse of the World Trade Center." Almost no one doubted Trump; more than a few people wondered why this was controversial. The youngest member of the group wondered why he never saw Muslims in the streets protesting terrorism. Kelly said that there was fresh audio evidence of Muslims celebrating the San Bernardino shooting, though he could not immediately recall the source.

I'll bet.

It is the holiday season, so I'll moderate my remarks to the point of mentioning that everybody quoted in this piece is a moron. And Frank Luntz has played a major role down through the decades in making them such. Going around, coming around…